Clothes wringer



S. N. MCCLEAN CLOTHES WRINGER Filed July 26 1920 Aug. 2 i

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug- 2 9 s. N. MCCLEAN CLOTHES WRINGER Filed July 26, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented Aug. 2, 192.7.

UNITED STATES l 1,631,581; PATENT oFElcE.

sumar. n. mm, or nunon, nomen.

(morne man Anuman nea my se. mo. mm' n. aangaan.

This invention relates to clothes wrlngers and has for its object to improve and simplify the design, construction, operation, and manufacture of the wringer; to rovide wringcr embodying mechanism whic eiectively controls the adjustment, operation, and functioning of the wringer rolls and their driving means, the drip controlling means, and the roll pressure and power releasing means; to provide a wringer so constructed that the tension, operation, and pressure of the rolls may be adapted to any required and varying pressure or feeding action of the clothes which pass between I6 the rolls; to provide driving means to continuously drive both thev upper and lower, rolls with the required pressure for both light and heavy clothing, and a safety device which simultaneously releases both the rolls and the power and simultaneously throws both the power and the tension of the rolls either on or olf, and to 'control the iiow of the drip in the required direction.

A further object is to provide an improved Wringer so designed and constructed that it may be formed of separable pressed steel halves or parts and rapidly manufactured and produced with little machinery and at small expense, and to obtain certain advantages and improvements in the manufacture, operation, and use of the Wringer, as hereinafter set forth.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

vReferring' vto the accompanying drawings, which are hereby made part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a side View of my automaticyvringer with the near side wall removed, showing the operating parts partly in section and partlyfin elevation; Fig. 2 is a Sectional plan view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken outside elevation of Fig. 1, showing the releasing means, tension lever and also illustrating drip controlling means; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, showing the` drip controlling means; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6, Fig. 4 showing the driving gearing in elevation; and Fig. 7 illustrates a modification.

My invention may be briefly described as an automatic wringer constructed with companion o posing rolls, a floating s rin connected with the op osite `ends of iine gf the rolls to automatica 1y and operatively control, adJust, and release' the tension, drivmg means connectin the driving and driven rolls .for continuous y driving the rolls in the r1ght direction `and for controlling the various movements of the rolls, said wringer being constructed with releasing and tension controlling means which simultaneously releases the rolls and cuts out the power and throws in the power and applies and ad- .Justs the tension to the rolls, and .being pro#- `vided with drip controlling means which directs the iow of the drip in the right direction.

Referring to Fig. 1 in the accompanyin drawings, 1 is the pressed steel frame o the wringer, which isformed by suitable dies in se arable halves or parts, which are remova ly held together by the screw-threaded stud-bolts and nuts 2. This pressed Steel frame 1 may be of any required shape to permit it to receive and operatively and removably retain the rolls and their associated driving and controlling means.

The frame 1 of the wrnger is shown fixedly connected with a swin Ving `wringer bracket to which it is attacher? by the cross bolts as illustrated at 4. The bracket 3r forms a sleeve about a fixed part 5 by which it is attached to a suitable'washing tub or washing machine, and about which it may be rotatab y adjusted and locked in any position by the latch 5. i

The invention may be constructed and operated either as a hand wringer with the usual hand crank, not shown, or as a power driven wringer as shown in the drawings. The power shaft 6 is operatively carried in the fixed part of the bracket 5 and is suitably connected with the wrin er drive-shaft 7, such as` by a bevel ear 8 wiich is carried on the upper end o the shaft 6 and two bevel gears 9 carried on the wringer shaft 7. These gears are removably carried inthe bracket 3 to rmit them to be assembled vvand removed rom the power-shaft 6 which may be connected with any suitabletype of driving means or motor. The double-ended 10 clutch 10 which is carried on the shaftA 7 between the pinions `9 may be shifted to either of its end positions or to the neutral position by an operating arm 11 on a shaft 12 having an operating handle 13 on the outn.

side of the casin the purpose of said clutch being to drive t e wringer the forward or reverse direction or stop it, as desired.

The lower wringer roll 14 is coupled to the upper wringer ro l 15, winch-upper roll has rotating, oscillating and reclprocatmg movement in the frame. l

The tension device comprises a Heating spring 16 located in a cylindrical orltubular part 1a of the frame 1 and has Heating connection with the opposite ends of the roll by means of cables 17 and 18. These cables are attached to opposite ends o the sprmg 16 to cause it to exert iioating tension upon V2O, 21. These caps are mbv the op osite ends of the roll 15 and to automatica y control and adjust the tension between the rolls 14, 15.

The spring 16 is preferably a. compression spring and carries at its opposite ends the companion caps 19 `which ca'ri'ly the pulle s ab e in the tu 1 and receive the' end" p 1fessure of vthe spring 16.

The cable 17 is connected with a bushing 22 on one end, say the left hand end, Fig. 1 of the roll 15 and asses over a stationary pulley 23 which is journalled on one end of a bolt 2. The cable then asses through to the opposite end of the s'prlng 16-around the pulley' 21, is then returned to ai second stationary pulley 23a and passes around this pulley and up at the side of the frame to the tension lever 24.

1 The cable 18 is connected with asimilar bushing at' the opposite end o1* the roll 15 and passes around' a stationary pulley 25 which is carried on a stud 2 as before at the right-hand side of the frame. It then passes diagonally through the' spring 16 and around the pulley and is' returned to and passes cver a second stationary pulley 25Il and passes diagonally through the spring 16 toa stationary pulley 26 .which is also carried on the bolt 2 at the left-hand side o the frame, and from this pulley 26 it passes up and is attached to. thetension lever 24.

i It is thus apparent that' the spring 16 iioats between the opposite ends'of the roll 15 and the tension lever 24.

The tension lever 24 is on fa' shaft 27 provided with an outside 'operating arm .28 ,-(Fig. 4), and the arm 24 1s vprovided with a h ub'part 29 which isz-formed with ratchet teeth 30with which t l1e "springpressed pawl 31j engages to lock or releasey the tension lever. This pawl '31 is pitotally carried in vthe frame and is actuated bv the coiled spring 32 and is provided with a lug 33 which extends into the path of a lug 34 on la releasing slide 35.

A spring-pressed clutch sleeve 36 is operatively slidable on the shaft-7 and a nbt'ch 37' therein engages with a lpin38. Shaft 7 is formed .in twoparts, oneof which connects' with'the roll and the `other with the Loaf/,sei

drive, and the sleeve 36 Vis connected with the' driving portion of the shaft by means oi the pin and slot 39 to control the throwing in and throwing out of the power.

The releasing bar or slide is constructed near its lower part with the cam lug 40 which engages with the sleeve 36 to throw back the sleeve against the pressure o the spring 41 and. release the clutch at the time that the lug 34 engages with the pawl 31 both to release the rolls and throw out the power simultaneously. The releasing bar 35 is moved in one direction by ressing down upon its handle 42 with the lIiand, or automatically, as will appear hereafter, and is lifted or restored to normal position by a light spring 43.

An automatic releasing lever 44 is pivotally carried in the frame and at one end is ivotally connected Ato the bar 35.' This ever is provided with an inwardly pro'ecting erin 45 which extends into the pat of upward 'movement of anarm 46 carried by the roll 15, which arm strikes the lever 'arm 45 to automatically depress the bar 35 to 4both release the rolls and throw out the power in case the operators hand is drawn between the rolls or when the work is too thick. In other words if the roll 15 is lifted to its limit it automatically releases or disconnects both the pressure and drive.

Figs. 4 and 5 also show the drip board 47 which vincludes a sleeve 47al formed to fit around the tubular or cylindrical part 1* of the wringer frame and is provided with laterally extending drip detlecting wings 48 and is rotated or oscillated on the tubular part of the frame to cause the wings to alternately extend on wringer. 4

An auxiliary drip-shield 49 extends par-` tially around the roll 14 and between it and the primary drip-board 47. This drip-shield 49' is formed at its opposite endsl with' projecting arms 50 which are ivoted on the Shaft 7. The auxiliary shield is connected the lopposite sides ofjlthe with the primary drip-board 47 by the reverse or opposite side of the roll 14.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the drip-board 47 constructed with a laterally projecting arm 80 and connecting rod 81 by which it is connected with the wringer reversing lever 13 for controlling the forward and reverse action of the wringer directly from the drip mams:

controlling means,` thus controlling the'flow of the drip in the required direction in which the roll's are running.

construction the gears 55 are carried at the opposite ends of the roll 14 on the shaft 7 and are keyed to this shaft and turn with it. These gears 55 en age with the gears 56 by means of the lin .connection 57 and the gears 56 engagewith the gears 58 by the hnk connection 57.

The ars 59 are carried on the opposite ends of the shaft of the wringer roll 15 and are lixedly connected to rotate with this shaft. These gears 59 are connected with the gearsl58 by the connecting link 60. The gears 58'do not'mesh with the gears 55 and gears 55 and 59 run in the reverse-dlrectlon, causing the rolls 14 and 15 to feed the clothing in a common direction in either the forward or reverse actionof the rolls and causing the rolls to act together both when they are close together or far apart, or at any intermediate or possible relative position of the rolls.

The functioning of the wringer rolls and the combination and control of the train of wringer driving gears are controlled by the lever 61 and the connecting bar 62 as follows:

The lever 61 is pivoted to the frame of the machine by the pivot and slot 63 and is connected to the shaft 64 of the gear 56 and the other end of the lever 61 1s connected with the bar 62 by the pivot 65. The other end of the bar 62 'connects with the gear 59 and roll 15 by means of the pivot shaft 66 and the shaft or pivot 66 at its opposite ends extends into a vertical slot or guideway 67 which is formed in the frame of the machine at the opposite ends of the roll 15.

In the operation of the rolls 14, 15, it is.

i thus apparent that when the rolls are drawn together by the tension of the spring 16 and the wringer is operated to carry the clothing between the rolls, the roll 14 rotates in a fixed position and the roll 15 is moved against the'pressure of the sprin causing the connecting link 62 to draw t e end of the lever 61 and lift or swing the gears 56, 58 u at about one-half the speed of the upwar movement of the gears 59, maintaining a correct relation and meshing and driving action of the train of gears and driving both the upper and lower rolls and allowing the upper roll to vibrate and oscillate freely with the varying thickness of the clothin as it passes between the rolls. The slot 6% guides the reci rocating movement of the upper roll an permits its reciprocating movement at either end ofthe roll, therel being a suicient clearance in the gear teeth and connections to permit the adjusting and oscillating movement of the rolls.

The tension lever 24 is controlledby means of the set screw and lock nut l 68 which engages with the lever 24 to limit its movement but `which may be adjusted to rmit an additional movement of this ever for taking up the stretch of the cables and the wear of the rolls.

The releasing bar 35 is provided at` its lower end with a laterally projecting pin 69 which extends into the 1path -of a cam lug 69* on an arm 69 of the tension lever 24 and which pin is actuated to cause thc" lug 34 to engage the pawl 31' to release the cam lug 40 from engagement with the rim of the sleeve 36.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have also shown shields, 71 ,and 72 placed at the opposite sldes of the driving `roll 14 and connected with the frame to permit the clothing to be thrown against the, upper roll and above the to of the shields,the action of the upper rol and `gravity operating to carr the clothing between the rolls, and the s ields forming a protection in the operation of feeding the clothing.

A s ring-presse latch 73 is preferably hlnge to the under side of the wing 48 of the drip-board 47 and engages with the hole 74 to lock and release the drip-board when the wringer is driven in one direction and with the hole 75 to drive the wringer in the reverse direction and with the hole 76 to hold the drip-boards neutral.

The operation of the invention has been setforth in connection with the description of lts parts and the operation of the invention as a whole may be briefly stated as follows.A l When the wringer is not in use, the releaslng bar 35 is struck down to release the tension lever and the spring 16v then expands and the caps 19 engage the pulleys 23, 25, thus entirely removing the tension of.' the spring from the upper roll and permltting the rolls to separate tov their full movement of an inch or an inch-and-a-half. In case of accident this operation throws back the sleeve 36 and throws out the power, by reason of the pin38 on the roll shaft-14 being disengaged from the sleeve 36, releases the rolls, and permits the finger, hand, or

lclothing to be readily Vwithdrawn from between the rolls.

When it is desired to use the wringer, the

20, 21, against the opposite ends ofthe i Usy loo"

-spring 16 causing the spring to lioat andy vel exert its tension upon opposite ends of the roll 15 and maintain an equal pressure and `inl one direction, causing the suds and drip to flow back into the tub out of which the .clothes are being wrung. v"VJhen the dripout the power.

.board is swungto its reverse position and the rolls are reversed the flov ofthe drip and the suds is in the oppositeV direction' and again into the tub from which 'the clothes are being wrung. t

The tension of the spr1ngv16 is set when therolls are in contact at thetension revquired. for the wringing of light clothing,

and the spring 16 is constructed so that the tension will increase with the thickness ot the clothing, and the rolls will 'separate freely and uniformly at the required tension for the heaviest bed-quilts and articles to be ypassed between the rolls, theupper roll having a travel suiiicient to adapt it to the largest garments or bed-quilts without reaching the full limit of its travel.v The s ring 16 therefore never normally reaches tlie full limit 'of its travel and works at its intermediate compression. When the roll 15 has reached nearly the limit of its travel and has openedto an amount greater than is required for bed-quilts and 'the largest articles to be wrung, the arm 46 strikes'the lever and releases the rolls and throws The tension of the spring 16 being less than the driving power of the motor and the clearance between the rolls and the travel of the rolls being greater than that required for the thickest garments, the danger of jammin the rolls is greatly reduced and the fee ing and wringing of the garments made easier and more uniform. l

The operation and automatic control 'of l the train of gears which engages with the opposite ends of the upper and lower rolls tion of the wringer.

controls and permits a reciprocating and rotating action of the rolls and, in combination with the automatic action and function of the ioating spring 16 operates to greatly increase the efficiency and Vautomatic func- Having now fully described my invention and its mode of operation, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure' by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:l

1. A clothes wringer provided with companion opposing rolls, a floating spring, and means including cable and sheave mechanism for operatively connecting said springwith the opposite ends of one of the rolls so as to aultlosmatically adjust the tension between said 1'0 tween said rolls.

'panion relatively movable rolls, driv' 2. Aclothes wringer provided withv relatively separable companion rolls, driving means connected with the rolls, Vand a oompression -lioating spring' carried bythe wringer rand having a flexible' connection vwith the opposite ends of one of the rolls so as to automatically" adjust the tension be- 3. A clothes wringer provided with comvmeans connected with one of the rolls, a

vtrain of four gears,-one end of thetrain operatively connected with the driving roll and the other end of the train operatively connected with the driven roll, links. connecting said gears, and a lever connection between the 4driven roll gear and lonevof the` intermediate gears and having a loose pivotal bearing in the frame.

4. A clothesl wringer provided with a pair of vdriving and driven'relatively movable rolls, a ioating spring connected withthe opposite ends of the driven roll for automatically regulating the tension between said rolls, means for latching said sprin under tension and releasing the same, an means ten'dingto normally return said latching means to latching position.

5. A clothes wringer provided with relatively movable rolls, a lioating compression spring connected with the opposite ends of one of the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a tension lever operatively connected with the spring, and releasing means operatively connected with the tension lever.

6. A clothes wringer provided with av pair of rolls, a floating spring connected with the opposite ends ofone of the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a tension lever operatively connected with the spring, releasing means operatively engaging with the tension lever, and driving means operatively connected with one of the rolls and with a source of power, said driving means being adapted for `engagement lwith the releasing means to release the tension between said rolls and to disconnect said driving means from said source of power.

7. A clothes wringer provided with a pair of rolls, a oating spring connected with the opposite ends of one of the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a tension lever operatively connected with the spring, and an adjustable stop means engaging with the tension lever.

8. A clothes wringer provided with a pair ot rolls, a floating spring connected with the opposite ends of one of the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a A tension applying lever operatively connected with the spring, adjusting means engaging with the tension lever, and releasing means engaging withthe tension lever.

9. A clothes wringer rovided with a pair of rolls, a spring attached by llexible connections to the opposite ends of one of the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, and means engaging with one of the rolls 't'or automatically releasing the tension between said rolls.

10. A clothes wringei provided with a pair of rolls, a floating spring connected with the opposite ends of one ot the rolls to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a tension lever operatively connected with the spring, manually operable releasing means operatively connected with the tension lever, and an automatic releasing `means operatively connected with the tension lever and engaging with the movable roll.

11. A clothes wringer provided with a pair of companion rolls, a wringer frame carrying the rolls and having a cylindrical part formed beneath the rolls, a drip-board movable around the cylindrical part of the frame as a bearing support therefor, afloating spring carried within the cylindrical part of the frameand connected with the opposite ends of the upper roll for automatically regulating the tension between said rolls, and driving means connected with the lower roll.

12. A clothes wringer provided with a driving and a driven roll, a frame operatively retaining the rolls and provided with a tubular part beneath the driving roll, a floating spring carried in the tubular part of the frame and operatively connected with the opposite ends ot' the upper roll to automatically regulate the tension between said rolls, a drip-board having a limited movement around the tubular part of the frame as a bearing support therefor, an auxiliary drip-board formed between the lower roll and the primary dripboard and provided with upwardly projecting arms at itsv opposite ends and carried 011 the shaft of the lower roll, means operatively connecting the upper and lower drip-boards for swinging them in opposite directions, and driving means connected with the lower roll.

In testimony whereof I hereby allix my signature.

SAMUEL N. MoOLEAN. 

